“Pa Played the Fiddle”: Making Music in the Age of the MP3
I have been reading aloud Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books to my boys over the past year. I read them myself growing up, but I have forgotten most of the stories; I am enjoying them at least as much as my boys are—possibly more. Although I realize the books are based on Laura’s actual childhood and not an exact memoir per se, I am still amazed at the type of life lived by this seemingly run-of-the-mill family of the late...
A Kindergarten Homeschool Year in the Rearview
As public schools become less and less of a viable option for many Christian families, interest in alternative schooling options is increasing. Christian private schools remain financially unattainable for many (especially for larger families). Homeschooling, on the other hand, can be incredibly intimidating for those without direct experience or exposure to what homeschooling looks like from day to day. The internet has been an...
What Is Directing Our Worship?
When asked to serve as the Music Minister at his church, Steven gladly accepted. He led the congregation in the great hymns from the church’s history—such as “All Creatures of Our God and King,” “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” “Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty,” and “Near the Cross.” An elderly gentleman, strictly accustomed to southern gospel music, approached Steven one morning: “These new songs are nice and all, but I really prefer...
Musical Thought in the Early Church
On a youth group outing recently, several of our teenagers and I began discussing one of our favorite topics—music. I told them that my musical preferences had changed over the past year in favor of hymns, folk songs, and classical music. When one young man asked why I was making such changes I explained that it was due to some of my recent reading. A New Song for an Old World: Musical Thought in the Early Church has been particularly...
Christian Worship: “Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs”
We sing. As Christians, it’s something we do. It’s what we’ve done in the past, it’s what we do today, and it’s what we’ll do forevermore. Yet, the simple act of singing in the church is more than just words crafted together, or lyrics set to music—though it is these things. Ultimately, we offer praise to God in worship by it. Today, some sing with instrumentation, and others without. Some sing from screens, and others from books....
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